It’s rare to see anything other than sparrows, pigeons and the occasional robin in the downtown core so it was especially nice to see this solitary female Downy Woodpecker excavating the tree. As I walked away I hoped she’d find her way back to her mates but she did provide a welcome bit of nature on this city block.
Not only attractive little insects, hoverflies also serve a useful purpose. They are pollinators, their larvae prey on aphids and other plant destroying insects. Their appearance wards off predators as they mimic wasps and bees and yet they are generally harmless. They pack a powerful punch in a tiny package!
In late summer wildflowers begin to show some wear but collectively their colours paint a wonderful palette, they don’t go quietly into fall! These flowers were growing in great bunches along the roadside and we stopped a while to enjoy them.
In November last year the fall leaves were gone but the lichen on the trees added a nice touch of colour. The chickadee was taking a short break from foraging and I snapped this photograph.
I liked the pattern the mallard formed in the water and the duck’s intensity at it steamed forward. There might be more exotic birds that visit the Ottawa area but nothing matches the mallard for its exuberance and personality.
For the last few springs we’ve seen solitary screech owls in the reserve we visit. We’ll spot one in a tree hollow or on a nearby branch. As much as we checked this year none were about on our walks so I’m featuring an owl from 2016. The owls seem to favour the deep woods, and the leaves create quite a colour cast which I corrected in Lightroom using White Balance.
This was one of those quiet days at the reserve, a pleasant walk but nothing much about. As we headed back to the car we saw some people nearby and someone pointed out a green heron at the water’s edge. The path was narrow, the light poor and trying to maneuver around branches and people was a challenge. The bird was backlit and there was a colour cast. I corrected the lighting in Lightroom and used Photoshop to correct the colour cast.
This black-crowned night heron is in mating plumage, sporting two long white plumes. Both sexes look alike (at least to me) but I believe this is a male given its larger size.
He was surveying the water when I spotted him but I moved on before I saw him catch anything.
I always associate painted turtles with lazy summer afternoons. They are either basking in the sun or going for a quiet swim. You feel yourself slowing down in their company. No better way than that to enjoy summer!
I took this photograph last August. We haven’t had as many opportunities to visit our favourite reserve this summer and the birds are keeping themselves scarce when we do go. Last year was a good year so old friends are putting in an appearance.
At the reserve we go to most often, mallards are well represented. They are very sociable, and always available for a photograph. I find them the most amusing of ducks, in this case the duck looks like its been up to something, or maybe it’s just me.
The birds are keeping themselves scarce right now but there is no shortage of insects or flowers to photograph. I look forward to when the chicory puts in an appearance, almost as much as this hover fly.
This hover fly flew into the frame just as I was composing my photograph, a nice addition to the shot. On these brilliant summer days I enjoy walking along the meadows’ edges with the the riot of colour and buzzing of insects laid out for the taking.
This little bee was a cooperative subject as he took his time gathering pollen. There weren’t many other bees around so he had his pick of the sunflowers. Summer time and the living is easy.
The first Egret shot was taken last summer, the bird was on the lookout for lunch. I took the second photo last fall, it appears the egret found the vine a tasty snack. I usually like to have a variety of subjects on my blog. This year my schedule and the birds putting in an appearance haven’t always coincided. Luckily as I have a good number of bird photographs that have yet to appear on my blog I’ll be featuring some from time to time.
I do like poppies and was happy to see them among the other flowers in the field. They have a colour and delicacy that always attracts the eye. I decided against a tight crop and chose to show them as an element of the whole.
I rarely carry more than the lens on my camera when I set out to do some photography, so I pretty much have an idea of what I’d like to photograph. On this particular day I had my 105mm and was looking for flower and insect subjects. I wasn’t disappointed by these red milkweed beetles.
With all the greyness and rain we’ve had it would be easy to think that summer forgot to arrive this year. So when the sun does shine everyone comes out to enjoy it. I spotted these ladybugs while on a walk in my neighbourhood. We don’t see too many insects in the city centre so I was feeling pretty lucky that afternoon.
I came across this wood duck chick as it was about to slip into the water. It reminded me of a child building up it’s courage to jump into the deep end of a pool. The duckling seemed to wear a triumphant expression when he finally did.
I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to get out with my camera and this will be the case for a while yet. The other day however, while out in the neighbourhood with a macro lens on my camera, I stopped beside a hedge and had a look around. I spotted some ladybugs (for a future post) and this little fly. When I got home and viewed the insect on my computer, I was delighted to see it was blowing a bubble. A perfect macro moment!
This yellow wildflower in a field of green embodies summer to me. It grew on its own with no competition for my attention. The second flower was in a garden hedge. It had just rained, a constant this summer, and it stood out nicely against the green.
This bird is one of my favourites. A frequent visitor to my blog, the nuthatch’s alert and friendly manner makes for a great subject. I thought the background colour did a nice job of framing the bird.
Like many herons, the Black-crowned night heron can stalk its prey for longer than I have the patience to watch. With a catch or not they make for excellent subjects, as they stand so still allowing me to take many photographs. This spot on the lake is always a popular fishing spot, and the lighting always adds interest to the scene.
Two different wildflowers that I really like. The first photo is of pink trilliums. They are less common than the white variety but they tend to grow in bunches which more than makes up for their scarcity. The second photograph is of bladder campions, considered a weed in North America but not to this photographer!
Although it’s still spring, the temperature has been in the low 30Cs the last few days. The birds and their offspring are scarce but the wildflowers and insects are everywhere you look at the reserve. My first bee and flower photograph of the season, always a cheerful combination!
I haven’t been out as often as I’d like with my camera but seeing and photographing this beauty, made up for some missed opportunities. Trilliums are the official flower of Ontario yet I never come across them in great numbers. Their growing period is a short one, this trillium looked like it was celebrating the season.
All the familiar favourites are returning to the reserve. We’ve had a few sightings of Black-crowned Night Herons; never two at once, so I’m no sure if there’s one individual or more. We came across this one in a quiet cove. We watched as he starred at the water never shifting his gaze. He caught a fish so quickly that I missed the shot and only caught him with his back to me as he flew off with a large catfish dangling from his mouth.
In the past week we’ve seen our first dragonflies of the season. Once these insects appear summer is truly on its way. Since I rarely carry more than one lens with me, and had set out to photograph birds that day, these were taken with my 300mm lens. I took plenty of shots, the dragonfly was in no hurry to fly off, and though some were discarded I had quite a few keepers. I look forward to the weeks that follow with more dragonfly varieties emerging as well as the appearance of damselflies.
The female Red-winged Blackbird has more subtle colouring than her male counterpart but is an attractive bird by any standard. I’ve only seen the female once before, the males seem to be less shy and their song fills the woods beginning mid-March, one of the first spring migrants to our area. This bird and her mate were in the open as I walked along and I took this shot.
As is often the case, spring arrives slowly to my part of the country, the temperature going from very cool to very warm within days. The woodlands remain quiet, but gradually the birds return and the trees and other vegetation begin to bud and then suddenly burst with colour and sweet smells. These flowers were just budding last week, now there’s so much that catches my eye, it’s hard to chose what to photograph. The perfect dilemma!
By this time in May we usually see a lot of young birds in the woods and on the water. Given the below normal temperatures in our area and heavy spring flooding the natural cycle has been delayed by a few weeks. Squirrels don’t seem to have been effected though as we’ve some young about. This young squirrel wasn’t scared off by my presence. He kept an eye on me but held his ground (and his nut) while I photographed him. I took a few shots and then I left him to it.
We returned to the Tulip Festival for a second time on a hot sunny day this week. Many of the flowers were at their peak although not all as you can see in the first photo. The tulips are selected in such a way that there are continuous blooms throughout the three week span of the festival. I plan to get back once more before it ends, the riot of colour is hard to resist.
The photo has an unusual composition that I like. The chickadee to the right of the photo and the leaves to the left provide balance. No Rule of Thirds here or the usual negative space in front of the bird. Some rules are meant to be broken!
I came across the first image when I was looking for some Canada Geese photographs for a recent post. I haven’t taken many birds in flight and hadn’t remembered taking this one. The geese were beginning their fall migration so if you pointed your camera towards the sky there were a lot of opportunities to try and capture them. My 300mm lens at F 5.6 worked in my favour and I was pretty pleased with the result.
The Great Blue Heron was on a fishing expedition and landed shortly after I took this photo. Always a favourite subject of mine on land or in the air.
Canada’s Tulip Festival is a yearly event in Ottawa that takes place each May. We decided to go before the official opening in order to avoid the crowds. There are many varieties of tulips in bloom with many yet to come over the three weekends of the festival. After a break from photography this past cold winter it was a pleasure to get out again with our cameras, coming home with muddy knees from taking close ups of the flowers.
The path we were on led to a field bordered by some underbrush. While looking around, this Cottontail appeared. At first it froze in place and then not bothered by our presence continued feeding; glancing in our direction from time to time. I thought it must have been rather young and trusting to react this way. I took a few shots before he decided to move along.
Canada Geese can be unwelcome visitors, noisy, messy and overstaying their welcome. But they can make for wonderful subjects too. I came upon this bird last fall as the leaves were changing and the light was soft. These photos were taken at our favourite reserve, a place I’ve only visited a few times this spring. With the below average temperatures and the flooding this month many of the paths are under water. The nearby river is slowly beginning to recede but it will be a several weeks before we’ll be able to walk the park in its entirety.
This downy woodpecker had been busy excavating some bark but paused briefly in his work, taking a break. Perched on the branch facing a wide open sky gave the bird a rather contemplative look that I liked.
Both of these photos were taken in April on a rare day when it wasn’t raining. The rain and cold is breaking records this spring and flooding is affecting a large number of people in several provinces. I love taking photos of ducks when they appear to be steaming towards me, the first duck looks like he means business while the second one just a bit curious.
I’ve done several posts on Nuthatches, they remain in our area all year long. Even in winter when there’s nothing much about you can usually count on this little bird to put in an appearance. Their striking looks and tell tale call make them agreeable subjects.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 